Anrong, Dang 
  
2 PRINCIPLE AND INDEX OF GRAIN PRODUCTION SYSTEM REGIONALIZATION 
2.1 Principle of Grain Production System Regionalization 
Principle of grain production system regionalization is the basis of dividing first class and uniting subclass (Zhou Lisan, 
1981, 1993). Of cause, different principles must be used to determine different class of region. Taking the four 
principles of China's general agriculture regionalization (Deng Qinzhong, 1982; Zhou Lisan, 1993) as reference, the 
author put out five principles for China's grain production system regionalization as follows: 
(1) Considering about the comparability of natural, social, and economic conditions of grain production system 
(2) Thinking over the comparability of basic characteristics and development objects of grain production system 
(3) Taking the comparability of key problems and resolving approaches of grain production system into account 
(4) Integrating natural agriculture regions, climate agriculture regions, and general agriculture regions 
(5) Keeping in touch with the spatial integrality of each county administration region boundary 
2.2 Index of Grain Production System Regionalization 
Being used to determine the grain production region, regionalization index is the quantitative or qualitative indicators in 
quality or quantity of regional grain production features. Representation of regionalization principle and objective, 
regionalization index is the basis to determine the boundaries of grain production region (Qiu Baojian, 1986). So, the 
issue of how to select the index is an important scientific and practical problem for grain production regionalization 
scheme. On the one hand, the index must represent the regional diversity of natural factors, and the characteristics of 
natural ecosystem. On the other hand, the index must represent the regional diversity of social and economic factors, 
and the characteristics of human ecosystem. Therefore, the index must include both natural resources factors and social 
economic factors (Zhou Lisan, 1993; Guo Huancheng, 1992). According to the components and structure of China's 
grain production system, the regionalization index must be composed of natural resources index (such as climate index 
and topographic index) and social economic index (such as soil index, productivity level, and structure of grain 
production) (listing in table 1). Furthermore, the critical value of each index is also important and significant. 
  
Types of Index Terms of Index 
Temperature Sum of Daily Mean Temperature=10°C 
Continuous Periods of Daily Mean Temperature=10°C 
Climate Index Average Temperature of Most Hot Month 
Average Temperature of Most Cold Month 
Monthly Precipitation, Frost-free Period 
Annual Precipitation, Dryness Ratio 
Topography Index | Topography: Altitude, Terran 
Landform: Slope, Aspect 
  
  
  
  
Soil Index Soil Attribute: Texture, Depth of cultivation, pH Value 
Soil Nutrient: Organic Matter, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium 
Social and Production Condition: Irrigation, Fertilizer, Agro-Machine, Power 
Economic Index Economic Condition: Production per Capita, Output per Capita 
Production Level: Production per Labor, Output per Labor 
Current Productivity: Grain Yield, Total Grain Production 
Potential Productivity: Absolute Productivity, Relative Productivity, 
Total Grain Productivity 
Structure of Grain | Structure of Production: Output of Paddy, Wheat, Maize, Soybean 
Structure of Sown Area: Sown Area of Paddy, Wheat, Maize, Soybean 
  
Productivity of 
Grain Production 
  
  
  
  
  
Table 1. Regionalization index of China's grain production system 
3 REGIONALIZATION SCHEME OF CHINA'S GRAIN PRODUCTION SYSTEM 
Supported by geographic information system (GIS), the regionalization process workflow is worked out as figure 1 
based on the spatial database (county unit) and attribute database (in 1994). Of cause, the method and index selected 
above are applied during the regionalization process. And the concrete process is discussed below in detail. 
3.1 Data Compiling 
  
72 International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXIII, Part B7. Amsterdam 2000.